Chen Shui-bian

Lien's lawyers filed a lawsuit March 29 to nullify Chen's victory, citing as a primary reason a record 330,000 invalid ballots and voting irregularities.

The court said the case will receive the highest priority, but it was up to the judges to decide when and how a recount would be held.

A recount is seen as the more likely outcome since Chen has said he would agree to a full judicial re-tallying of the election, which he won by just 30,000 votes out of more than 13 million cast.

Lien Chan

Meanwhile, on March 29, a team of U.S. crime scene investigators arrived in Taiwan to investigate the March 19 shooting of Chen and Vice President Annette Lu, which Lien claims was staged and cost him the victory -- a charge Chen denies.

The team, including experts in ballistics, forensics and identification, flew to Tainan in southern Taiwan to examine the site of the incident and visit the hospital where Chen and Lu were treated.

The Japan Times Weekly: April 3, 2004
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